Burglar used paving slab to smash his way into Leeds Wetherspoon's and Home Bargains
A burglar used paving slabs to smash his way into businesses around Leeds, culminating in a terrifying armed robbery at a petrol station.
Noel Heatley targeted a Wetherspoon pub, a Tesco petrol station, a Home Bargains and finally a BP garage where a night-shift employee was working.
The 46-year-old was jailed for almost four years at Leeds Crown Court this week.
He and an accomplice first targeted the Tesco petrol station in Seacroft in the early hours of September 13 last year.
The station was closed with the shutters down. CCTV showed they physically forcing up the shutters and using a brick to smash the door panel before climbing through.
But after trying and failing to open the tobacco cabinet, and “bashing” the till with the brick they left empty-handed. They caused £15,000 worth of damage.
At 12.30am on October 15, Heatley used a slab of concrete to smash the door to Home Bargains in Cross Gates.
He climbed through and took £80 worth of alcohol, passing them to an accomplice waiting outside.
Five days later on October 20, at 1.35am, he targeted The Charles Henry Roe pub on Austhorpe Road in Cross Gates.
Again, he used a paving slab to smash the window in the front door before crawling through.
He tried to smash open a gaming machine, but failed. He then took four charity boxes attached to the bar, before snatching a bottle of alcohol and snacks and leaving.
But with the alarm already triggered, police were quickly on the scene and found Heatley just two streets away.
He struggled when they tried to handcuff him, so he was taken to the floor. He tried to grab the officer’s Taser and was verbally abusive.
Having been later released from custody, he went on to commit the robbery at the BP garage on York Road.
Having scoped out the station, he and an accomplice used a paving slab to smash the door open while a terrified night worker was inside.
He told the petrified woman: “I will smash your face in. Where is the f****** money?”
The other masked man grabbed cigarettes and sleeves of tobacco. The woman was able to press the panic button before Heatley and the unidentified male fled.
Heatley was arrested on November 9 on another matter before it was realised he was wanted for the break-ins. He was verbally abusive and racist towards the arresting officer.
Heatley, of Firbank Grove, Halton, admitted three non-dwelling burglaries, robbery, resisting arrest and a racially-aggravated public order offence.
He has 32 previous convictions for 77 offences.
Mitigating, Celine Kart said Heatley was ashamed of his actions and “wished to apologise” to the worker at the BP garage.
She said he was in a “revolving door” situation, being in-and-out of prison due to his drug use.
The court he was epileptic but had not had a seizure “for some time”.
Judge Simon Phillips KC jailed him for 44 months.